Fire and Fury of the Trump book ‘exclusives’

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It’s fair to say that Michael Wolff’s explosive biography of Donald Trump has caused a stir ahead of its publication. It’s a struggle to find a news site that isn’t splashing on its claims – from Trump’s supposed desire to lose the election to Steve Bannon’s comments on Russia. Despite the US President’s lawyer has issued a cease and desist letter to block the official release of Fire and Fury, the publisher has decided to release the book today four days ahead of schedule.

Hacks are now at pains to show that they managed to bag their copy ahead of schedule. Although the Times has the official UK serialisation, the Guardian managed to scoop the paper and publish first after they ‘obtained a copy of Fire and Fury from a bookseller in New England’. Since then, Fleet Street hacks have moved to prove their own ‘exclusive’ credentials. The Evening Standard has today published the ‘world first review’, while other paper hacks are at pains to point out that they actually saw the book yesterday – even if their report is out today.

So Cockburn feels that he too, ought to divulge that he received a copy ahead of the official release. However, rather than working top secret US contacts, it was delivered to the office in a mysterious white-padded envelope… it had to be signed for… it was a book sent for review!